9.0°C > 11.0°C: Patchy cloud at medium/high level. A few sunny interludes. Moderate south-westerly breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:09 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
(297th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I heard Canada Geese fly in but did not see them. Five seen later, perhaps not all of these were the birds I heard arriving.
- an adult Mute Swan flew in. Odd that while the residents were still here they were chasing visitors almost daily. Since the residents departed this is only the second time I have noted any here.
- a pair of Goosander visited briefly.
- the usual post 08:30 gull arrival was almost non-existent.
- two Great (White) Egrets were present some of the time.
- 13 Song Thrushes singing today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 184 Jackdaws
- 122 Rooks
- c.35 Starlings: together
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: see notes
- 1 Mute Swan: arrived
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 40 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander: briefly
- 7 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls only
- 8 || 4 Herring Gulls
- c.375 || 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Flies:
- 1 green midge Tanytarsus sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Springtails:
- 2 globular springtails sp., possibly Dicyrtomina saundersi
Bugs:
- 1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius: on a different pole to yesterday
Spiders:
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
Beetles:
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
(Ed Wilson)
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Flies:
- 1 midge only again
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 7 spiders: usual suspects
The spiders did not have much to try and catch!
(Ed Wilson)
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(291st visit of the year)
Bird notes
I was told that the Cormorant seen tied up in fishing line last week later flew in to the trees and in so doing became suspended with the fishing line wrapped around branches. It was rescued by Cuan Wildlife Rescue. Had it not become suspended I doubt Cuan would have been able to catch it. No Cormorants seen today.
Other bird notes:
- the number of Pochard seems to change on a daily basis. There were four quite obvious drakes today.
- with four drake Goosanders there was much chasing around though no flying.
- the milder weather encouraged several Great Tits to sing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 35 (24♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Pochard
- 44 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 (4♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens only
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls: all ages
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
On the bank of Ivy:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >2 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Flies
- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
(Ed Wilson)